U.S. patent application number 12/379291 was filed with the patent office on 2009-08-20 for barbecue grill.
Invention is credited to Akira Yamamoto.
Application Number | 20090205629 12/379291 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40635737 |
Filed Date | 2009-08-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090205629 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yamamoto; Akira |
August 20, 2009 |
Barbecue grill
Abstract
A barbecue grill includes a pot-shaped grill body and a pan
supporting the grill body. The grill body is formed with air holes
arranged along the bottom edge thereof at angular intervals of
90.degree.. The pan is formed with protrusions arranged along its
edge at angular intervals of 90.degree.. During burning, the grill
body is placed on the pan such that the air holes are located
between the adjacent protrusions, respectively. In this state, the
air holes are open, so that air can be easily taken in. To
extinguish fire, the grill body is horizontally turned relative to
the pan until the air holes are hermetically closed by the
respective protrusions, and a lid is placed on the grill body. In
this state, air supply into the grill completely stops, so that
fire can be extinguished quickly.
Inventors: |
Yamamoto; Akira; (Gamagori,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WENDEROTH, LIND & PONACK, L.L.P.
1030 15th Street, N.W.,, Suite 400 East
Washington
DC
20005-1503
US
|
Family ID: |
40635737 |
Appl. No.: |
12/379291 |
Filed: |
February 18, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
126/25R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 37/0704
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
126/25.R |
International
Class: |
A47J 37/07 20060101
A47J037/07 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 20, 2008 |
JP |
2008-038764 |
Claims
1. A barbecue grill comprising a pot-shaped grill body having an
open top and formed with an air hole, and a pan having a
protrusion, wherein said grill body can be placed on said pan such
that said protrusion is received in the air hole, said protrusion
and said air hole being sized such that when the protrusion is
received in the air hole, the air hole is hermetically closed by
the protrusion, and wherein said grill body can be turned
horizontally relative to said pan and placed on said pan such that
said air hole is circumferentially displaced from said protrusion
and thus open.
2. The barbecue grill of claim 1 wherein a plurality of said air
holes are arranged along a bottom edge of said grill body at
predetermined angular intervals, wherein a plurality of said
protrusions are arranged along an edge of said pan at said
predetermined angular intervals, wherein said grill body can be
turned horizontally relative to said pan by half the predetermined
angular interval from the position where said protrusions are
received in the respective air holes and placed on said pan such
that the respective air holes are open to outside through gaps
between the adjacent protrusions.
3. The barbecue grill of claim 1 further comprising a lid for
closing the open top of said grill body, thereby preventing passage
of air through the open top.
4. The barbecue grill of claim 2 further comprising a lid for
closing the open top of said grill body, thereby preventing passage
of air through the open top.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to a barbecue grill of the type in
which burning fuel such as charcoal can be quickly
extinguished.
[0002] Barbecue grills include an open-topped grill body. Fuel such
as charcoal is placed in the grill body and burned to cook food on
a gridiron or an iron plate placed on the open top of the grill
body. Since the fuel consumes a large amount of air when burned,
air holes are formed in the bottom or side of the grill body to
introduce air into the grill body through the air holes, thereby
stably burning the fuel (see, for example, JP Patent Publication
2002-142996A (Numeral 13; FIG. 1).
[0003] Fuel used for barbecue grills tends to keep burning for a
prolonged period of time, and thus it takes a long time until the
fire is extinguished spontaneously. This makes it impossible to
store the barbecue grill soon after use. In order to solve this
problem, a barbecue grill has been proposed which includes a
sliding door for closing an air hole so that fire can be
extinguished forcedly by closing the air hole with the sliding
door.
[0004] This sliding door comprises a plurality of component parts,
so that the use of such a sliding door increases the manufacturing
cost of the grill. Also, because the grill body is heated to a high
temperature during use of the barbecue grill, the component parts
provided on the grill body tend to suffer thermal deformation. If
the door is thermally deformed, the door cannot be smoothly opened
and closed, thus making it difficult to hermetically close the air
hole with the door.
[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a barbecue
grill having a simple means capable of reliably closing an air hole
for extinguishing fire, while ensuring passage of sufficient amount
of air through the air hole during burning.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In order to achieve this object, the present invention
provides a barbecue grill comprising a pot-shaped grill body having
an open top and formed with an air hole, and a pan having a
protrusion, wherein the grill body can be placed on the pan such
that the protrusion is received in the air hole, the protrusion and
the air hole being sized such that when the protrusion is received
in the air hole, the air hole is hermetically closed by the
protrusion, and wherein the grill body can be turned horizontally
relative to the pan and placed on the pan such that the air hole is
circumferentially displaced from the protrusion and thus open.
[0007] Fuel such as charcoal is placed in the grill body and is
burned in the grill body. During burning, a large amount of air is
needed. Fresh air is taken in through the air holes formed in the
grill body. Instead of the single air holes, a plurality of such
air holes may be formed so that air can be more effectively taken
in.
[0008] By closing the air hole with the protrusion formed on the
pan after use, air cannot be taken into the grill, so that fire can
be extinguished quickly.
[0009] With this arrangement, the air hole is selectively closed
and opened by horizontally turning the grill body relative to the
pan, no component parts are necessary other than the grill body and
the pan. Thus, the barbecue grill according to this invention is
simple in structure, and can be manufactured at a low cost. Because
the grill body and the pan have sufficient strength (e.g. have a
sufficient thickness) so as not to suffer thermal deformation, it
is possible to prevent the air hole from being insufficiently
closed or opened due to thermal deformation of the component
parts.
[0010] In a specific arrangement, a plurality of the air holes are
arranged along a bottom edge of the grill body at predetermined
angular intervals, and a plurality of the protrusions are arranged
along an edge of the pan at the predetermined angular intervals,
wherein the grill body can be turned horizontally relative to the
pan by half the predetermined angular interval from the position
where the protrusions are received in the respective air holes and
placed on the pan such that the respective air holes are open to
outside through gaps between the adjacent protrusions.
[0011] The predetermined angular intervals are preferably an
integer factor of 360.degree., such as 90.degree. or 120.degree..
With this arrangement, air can be taken in uniformly, so that air
is distributed uniformly to the entire fuel in the grill body. This
ensures stable burning of the fuel.
[0012] If the air holes and the protrusions are arranged at angular
intervals of 90.degree., by horizontally turning the grill body
relative to the pan by half the above angular intervals, i.e.
45.degree., the air holes can be opened or closed.
[0013] The barbecue grill may further comprise a lid for closing
the open top of the grill body, thereby preventing passage of air
through the open top.
[0014] The lid prevents passage of air through the open top of the
grill body when the passage of air through the bottom of the grill
body is prevented, fire can be more quickly extinguished after
use.
[0015] According to this invention, since the air hole is
selectively closed and opened according to the angular position of
the grill body relative to the pan when the grill body is placed on
the pan, the grill according to the invention is simple in
structure, and still, it is possible to reliably close the air hole
when extinguishing fire, while ensuring passage of sufficient
amount of air through the air hole during burning. The barbecue
grill according to the present invention can thus be manufactured
at a low cost. It is also possible to prevent the air hole from
being insufficiently closed or opened due to thermal deformation of
the component parts.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] Other features and objects of the present invention will
become apparent from the following description made with reference
to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a barbecue grill according
to the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;
[0019] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view thereof;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a side view thereof, showing the state in which
the air holes are open;
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view thereof during use;
[0022] FIG. 6 is a side view thereof during use;
[0023] FIG. 7 is a sectional side view thereof during use;
[0024] FIG. 8 is a perspective view thereof, showing a different
state of use;
[0025] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the entire barbecue grill;
and
[0026] FIG. 10 is a sectional side view of the barbecue grill
according to the present invention, showing the state during
storage.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] FIGS. 1 to 3 show a barbecue grill according to the present
invention. This barbecue grill comprises a pot-shaped, open-topped
grill body 1, a pan 2 on which the grill body 1 is placed, and a
lid 3 for closing the top opening of the grill body 1. As shown in
FIG. 3, along the edge of the bottom of the grill body 1, air holes
4 are formed at angular intervals of 90.degree.. Along the edge of
the pan 2, protrusions 5 are formed at angular intervals of
90.degree.. When the grill body 1 is placed properly on the pan 2,
the protrusions 5 are received in the respective air holes 4, thus
hermetically closing the air holes 4 such that air is not passable
therethrough.
[0028] The side wall of the grill body 1 has a bottom edge
extending the entire circumference thereof and comprising a
plurality of steps 6. The pan 2 has a top edge 17 comprising a
plurality of steps that engage the steps 6, thereby stably
supporting the grill body 1.
[0029] When using the barbecue grill, the grill body 1 is
horizontally turned by 45.degree. from the position where the
protrusions 5 of the pan 2 are received in the respective air holes
4 so that the air holes 4 are located between the respective
adjacent protrusions 5 (see FIG. 4). In this state, the air holes 4
are now open, so that air can be easily introduced into the grill
body (as shown by the arrows of FIG. 4). Two pairs of holes 8 are
formed in the side wall of the grill body 1 at its diametrically
opposite positions, respectively. By inserting handles 9 into the
respective pairs of holes 8, the grill body 1 can be easily and
safely lifted from the pan and turned even while the grill body 1
is hot.
[0030] Similarly, two pairs of holes 8 are formed in the lid 3 at
its diametrically opposite positions. By inserting the handles 9
into the respective pairs of holes 8 formed in the lid 3, the lid
can be easily and safely removed from the grill body 1 or turned
over.
[0031] Fuel such as charcoal may be directly placed in the grill
body 1, or may be placed on a charcoal support 10 set in the grill
body 1 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9. A plurality of through holes 11
are formed in the bottom of the charcoal support 10 so that air is
supplied to the fuel on the support 10 through the air holes 4
formed in the grill body 11 and the through holes 11. By using the
charcoal support 10, burnt residue can be easily removed together
with the charcoal support 10 after use.
[0032] When the fuel is burned in the grill body 1, the grill body
1 is heated to a high temperature. But since the grill body 1 is
placed on the pan 2, the pan 2 prevents downward heat transfer. The
barbecue grill of this invention can thus be used on e.g. a table
that is not very heat resistant. Rubber legs 12 are provided on the
bottom of the pan 2, thereby separating the pan 2 from e.g. a table
on which the barbecue grill is placed. This further reduces heat
transfer to the table.
[0033] As shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, food may be cooked on a gridiron
13 set in the grill body 1. The gridiron 13 has legs 14 (see FIGS.
5 and 7). On the inner wall of the grill body 1, steps of different
heights are formed. By bringing the legs 14 into engagement with
the steps of a desired height, it is possible to adjust the height
of the gridiron 13 in a stepwise manner.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 8, the back side 16 of the lid 3, which is
made of iron, can be used as a cooking surface. The lid 3 has
support portions 17 along the edge of the front surface thereof.
Between the adjacent support portions 17, tapered surfaces 18 are
formed. To use the back side 16 of the lid 3 as a cooking surface,
the support portions 17 are brought into engagement with the top
edge 19 of the grill body 1. In this state, gaps g exist between
the tapered surfaces 18 and the top edge 19 of the grill body 1.
Through the gaps g, air is exhausted when the fuel is burned.
Simultaneously, air is smoothly introduced into the grill body 1
through the air holes 4. Fuel can thus be burned stably.
[0035] When cooking on the barbecue grill is finished, fuel residue
is extinguished. For this purpose, the handles 9 are inserted into
the respective holes 8 in the grill body 1, and the grill body 1 is
lifted from the pan 2 by holding the handles 9, horizontally turned
by 45.degree., and lowered onto the pan 2 to hermetically close the
air holes 4 with the protrusions 5 of the pan 2. Then, the lid 3 is
turned over so that the back side 16 faces down. In this state, the
interior of the grill body 1 is completely isolated, so that the
fuel residue is quickly extinguished, and thus can be disposed of
easily.
[0036] As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the charcoal support 10 and the
gridiron 13 can be nested in the grill body 1 for compact storage
and portability of the barbecue grill.
* * * * *